we asked you for your best captions for the cover of "the new york times" magazine that features hillary as a planet wlachlt did we get? >> larry had a good one. he said i'm more of a then jared shared this little internet one. >> people would say hillary could be a political wrecking ball. that is a classic picture. miley is in there. we wish on safe and happy trip to allen nugent. he is a great stage manager and always has peppermint mints so please leave some before you head off to sochi. any way "morning joe" starts right now. ♪ as long as you love me as long as you love me

yeah ♪ >> welcome to the news tonight. fans and family have watched as the personal life of justin bieber has seemingly come off the rails. >> child stars with so much promise and wealth and suddenly suffering staggering falls. >> justin bieber was arrested in miami beach earlier today after the police say they caught him drag racing in a lamborghini. >> biting his lip as he faces charges of dui and resisting arrest. >> mr. bieber has been relieved on bail. >> can you name us a justin bieber song? >> i will have to take the fifth on that. ♪ as long as you love me >> who did that? >> i'm going to blame t.j. i'm glad he made the news last night. it is friday, january 24th. >> what? what are you talking about? >> his outfit.

>> wearing gloves inside? >> it's cold! but leave him alone. that kid is a mess. >> i know. we're making fun of the newscasts. >> he has addiction issues clearly. >> come on! >> he is a mess. >> i remember being a 19-year-old billionaire. it was hard! >> it was hard! orange is the new bieber! with us on set, former communication director to george w. bush, nicole wallace. she was also in jail for a while. >> where are your gloves? >> they made me take mine off. >> and with us is steve rattner. the host of "way too early" thomas roberts. >> hi. >> the gloves, mika. >> i'm freezing. what is your excuse, thomas? >> i thought it was casual friday. >> that is the most prepared casual friday outfit i've ever seen. >> i think he should lose the jacket. you know? >> i sat my clothes out the night before.

i didn't shave either. >> i think that was preplanned. >> it's not an effort look. >> he pointed this out. i sat my clothes out the night before because i sleep in them! >> usually the same ones you wore the day before. >> they are. >> we're going to work on that. >> we are all kind of off. >> i thought this was nice, you know? i'll try again. >> it's nice. i think just the sweater, lose the sweater. can we see it without the jacket? >> see it without the jacket? >> yeah. >> no. no. i will object to this. i'm not going to be objective. >> you have to teach me how to do a pocket square. >> double sticked tape. >> is it really? >> i'm going to get glasses. will you guys help me choose them? because i'm blind. they are coming in a week. all right. enough about us and you. >> how is your swelling? has it gone down? >> oh, my god. i am on so much medication for

antihistamines and it's stress. i've got hives. hour ago, steve? how is your health? >> my health is perfect. >> any physical issues? >> you were a little late. >> i was. you know why? because a cab -- the car was getting in was waiting for me. i was coming out of my apartment and a cab could not wait two milliseconds and decided to sideswipe my car to get past it. >> because of all the snow on the ground. >> i always have problem with the doors here. i know. i know. just when you solve one problem. >> i found him rattling the doors. he was angry. >> that was de blasio, by the way, in that cab! >> you're on the upper east side. >> i'm not going to be a donny and tell you all about it. >> donny did say on this show the good old days, people used to knock on the doors of all the townhouses and see if the residents were okay?

i did have that instant rewind feature. >> de blasio, how about taking it out on the upper east side? you see how quick political retribution is. they don't vote for him in the democratic primary. >> the west side was clean! >> i'll tell you that on tuesday -- >> the upper east side. >> we knew how it felt to live in queens on tuesday. >> now you sound like -- >> when bloomberg was in office. >> you tell me i sound like donny, i'm going to be mad. >> we got some news. federal prosecutors demanding years of documents from chris christie's re-election campaign and the state republican party as part of their bridge closure investigation. subpoenas from a u.s. attorney went out yesterday. they also covered communications with ousted staffer bridge kelly and bill baroni and wildsteen at

the center of the scandal. there are new allegations. says pressured her he to green light the development or risk hurricane sandy funding. according to "the new york times" several witnesses have sold authorities that zimmer alerted them to the incident as early as may corroborating her store estory. two of the witnesses were aides to the mayor. >> subpoenas go out, not good. >> it's just going to draw -- what it's going to do is, at the very least, if there is nothing, is make a mess of side show for a long time that could be damaging and, at the worse, they are winning do find something. >> what is is it, though, i worked in the white house at a time when there were subpoenas issued to valerie plame leak investigation. what it does is suck an intangible amount of cosmic energy out of the people around the principal. i actually was in touch with one

of the governors advisers last night. how is it going, i asked. he said the governor has the reputation he has in the state and nationally because of the things he has accomplished while governing so that will be the focus. but having been through this at the white house, it does suck a lot of emotional energy and creates a lot of anxiety and it's expensive. these people have to retain counsel and government jobs don't pay enough for the kind of defense lawyers they need to hire. >> that will breed into loyalty too. >> it will freeze everybody in there, right? just look at the story now. the story now has totally become what christie did or didn't do during bridgegate, during sandy, this and that and nobody is talking about christie as a presidential candidate. i think it will complicate what he does in his rga job this year. it's a bad distraction for him. >> what impact does subpoenas have on libido? >> i think ask mike huckabee.

>> i could get uncle sugar on the phone for us and he could tell us. >> i still want to know who uncle sugar is. >> me too. >> what am i missing? you don't either know? >> i know who the bieb was and his song at the beginning but i have no idea who uncle sugar. >> t.j. i'm calling him uncle sugar. >> that is definitely right. what he says in my ear inappropriately. mike huckabee was expressed interest in making another run for president saying his record as governor of arkansas proves he can bring washington together. check. he'll have some work to do to win over critics following yesterday's comments about the gop's approach to woo back female voters. >> the republicans don't have a war on women. they have a war for women. for them to be empowered to be

something other than victims of their gender. women i know are outraged that the democrats think that women are nothing more than helpless and hopeless creatures whose only goal is to have provide for them birth control medication. women i know are smart, intelligent and capable of doing anything anyone else can do. our party stands for the recognition of the equality of women and the capacity of women. that's not a war on them. it's a war for them. and if the democrats want to insult the women of america by making them believe that they are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the government, then so be it and let us take that discussion all across america because women are far more than the democrats have played them to be and women across america need to stand up and say enough of that nonsense.

>> nicole, you wrote the speech. what were you thinking? >> blame it on the teleprompter, right? that is always a good one. uncle sugar, could that have been written in there? >> he wasn't using a teleprompter. he very skilled. score. >> what do you think? >> well, thank god for uncle sugar! what? >> listen, there were words and phrases in there that i liked. but the message, to me, got totally clouded over by uncle sugar. >> i was going to say. the first 45 seconds was fine. >> he had me. >> and then he -- >> i think women are jumping all over people and the government gives them pills? >> i have news for mike huckabee. i don't know how it is in his household but most guys i talk to are saying that their wives guess prescriptions once a month not because of the wives libido but because they are afraid of other people's libido inside the

house is going to get them pregnant. i don't think it goes that way with most of the guys that i talk to. oh, my god, my wife, my wife is just going crazy! she is having to go out and get that pill! >> they should not talk about -- scrap the word libido. >> what is the point that have? did he say that women are -- i'm just going to say -- >> i think they are trying to turn back and what the winter meeting wanted to do is turn back the war on women message and get that away from democrats so when these conversations do come up for people who are pro life that it isn't already -- >> that is very intellectual. >> he is saying only thing democrats care about is access to birth control pills. >> what was the point? >> he did just say what mika just said, that was the last part and the reason all they care did birth control pills is

because they can't control their libido is what he said. >> that democrats act like women can't control their -- >> this is back to the narrative of slut shaming for lack of a better term when it comes to women and if old white women could get pregnant, abortion could be a constitutional right. >> absolutely on every level. >> that's it. >> he is trying to characterize the democratic approach -- >> how well has the conversation happened when old white guys from the republican party get up and talk about the female reproductive system and choice? >> i don't think any man should sit around and talk about female libido on television or in a stump speech. >> what democrats have gotten tripped up by talking about a woman's right to choose? >> none that i can think of but, listen, i just think as a political matter, keeping it focused on what you're for instead of trying to

characterize the democrats' efforts would have been wiser. had he a good point there and now we have a woman, a very respected woman, a senior woman in the house republican leadership delivering the response to the state of the union. we have been on the verge of stringing together a few positive steps but this, obviously, is a distraction. >> we talked about this story in the 2012 campaign early on, especially in the primaries. the fact of the matter is americans are becoming more, on social issues, they are becoming more progressive on gay marriage and they are becoming more conservative on abortion. look at the last 20, 30 years because of technology and because of the 3d imaging and because viability is earlier. poll after poll after poll shows americans are becoming -- >> because younger people are. it's not that people are changing. younger people. >> younger people, they go it in and see the 3d imaging and realize when somebody says it's just a lump or a fetus or this

or that, a scientific term. >> that happened to you. >> yes, they see their little baby in there. very early on, i saw, you know, the profile of jack. my gosh. like the first time we looked at jack in utero and you can look at him today. it's the same exact profile on his nose. that's having a radical impact. nonlike ideological impact. just sort of an impact on this debate. all the more reason for republicans to shut the hell up when they are going to say stupid things about rape or women's libido or other things. for every three people out somewhere that they think they may impress, they have offended 300,000 and it got to the point, as i said time and time again,

that women in my household who had never voted for a democrat in their life in the early stages and who were all pro life, who worked for republicans on capitol hill and were conservatives through and through were saying about a month or two into the republican primary in 2012 i'm tired of these men talking about my reproductive system, and i may vote democratic. >> what would that group think of what mike huckabee just said? >> they would laugh their asses off and they are doing that because they can't get the pills to control their sexual -- married to guys who are going to get them pregnant who they are married to and afraid of that. >> if we came to the table and had adult conversation about what birth control means for women and if the right became supportive of birth control, wouldn't that also help with the

pro life narrative? >> the right is supportive of birth control. >> there is he talking about the fact of not supportive of uncle sugar to get your medicine. >> this is what is so damaging that some of the things santorum said very early on in interviews in iowa he talked about how he was going to use his platform to talk about contraception. you know, mike huckabee is being contraception into the debate. we should stay away from contraception. we shouldn't talk about rape. i mean, as far as like explaining medically why all of the stupid things they explained. >> i still don't understand what he meant about controlling. >> i think it was griswold of connecticut 1965 or so. this establishes a constitutional right for all americans in 1965. 1965. that is 48 years ago. so any way. >> might be just a tad bit

yesterday. >> but the reason for alarm among republican women is here we are again. here we are again having this conversation and mike huckabee does not represent part of the party that typically makes these kind of gaffs. he is enlightened and a wonderful man and a gifted politician, so it's surprising. >> it's surprising. >> that here we are again as the republican party. >> he is a great politician. i don't understand. he usually doesn't step on himself like this. a lot of pro life women out there. they don't want to hear this kind of talk. >> and you're sure -- well, i'm going to say, i don't know how he explains that comment. >> uncle sugar? >> forget uncle sugar. >> even the reporters who covered it and highlighted these comments initially went back and made the point that he was describing his opinion of how democrat treat women. >> you're not helping me explain what he was saying. >> i can't tell it any better

than that. >> let me explain. >> what does he think democrats think of women and their libidos? >> he is saying democrats treat women like the only thing they care about from the government are getting pills paid for them once a month and he says democrats -- let me finish because you keep asking the question and i'm answering it, so listen. >> thank you. yes. >> so they are acting as if democrats are acting and i want people at home to get this too. that the only thing women care about from the government are getting a pill once a month because they can't control their libido and they want to have sex all the time. i wonder why a married man would ever say that. but any way married man laughs. that is -- >> married woman laughs. >> that's what i wanted to hear because i cannot believe he said that. i just can't believe it. i cannot believe he said that.

>> that he would mischaracterize the democratic party that way. we got a lot of news. let's slam a couple of more stories. some republicans are looking to make big changes to their 2016 primary process. the rnc is ready to give its schedule in an attempt to a dirty nomination process. republicans who support the idea said it would allow the eventual nominee more time to fund-raise but some oppose say this will fund a well established candidate over a grassroots conservative. the changes are up for a vote today. the final day of the rnc's winter meeting. nicole? >> we lost two in a row. we have to change something so i think these are good changes. i think they are creating a big collision of wills there at the grassroots level but that is what these meetings are for. it's where they are designed to hash these out. i think something has to change. >> it's the right thing, right?

>> i think so. >> the longer it goes, the more these guys just destroy each other. >> we have destroyed our own. president obama defeated john mccain and mitt romney, but not before we defeated them ourselves as a party. >> right. >> the need to do something and, i mean, look at the other side if you need more signs that the democratic party is lining up behind team hillary just follow the money. >> wow. >> one arm of the political operation that helped reelect president obama in 2012 is now officially pro hk. priorities u.s. action will now begin raising money for her potential white house run and will be co-chaired by obama manager jim messina. meanwhile "the new york times" is expanding hillary land the entire planet on the cover. >> this is big news for hillary clinton.

>> yeah. i think -- >> a big step. >> a big step. >> well, from hillary clinton's point of view, one of the things she wants to be careful about is not have too much happy too early. it is one of the political algorithms we were talking about before. she doesn't want to be the front-runner with whoever is shooting at her. she wants to lay low, write her book, give some speeches and rest, get ready. january of next year we will have a whole bunch of people suddenly here. it creates a sense of inevitability when is good and bad for her. >> did you guys see what jill abramson said about the piece? most secretive ever? >> in the interview she references her dealings with the bush white house when stories about the telephone listening programs which seemed quite quaint now in light of what the obama administration is doing,

and so i found it particularly striking that she would say that, having been on the other side of working with her during some of the sensitive national security stories that we had urged "the new york times" not to publish and usually we lost every time. >> my perception is that this administration has been particularly good at not having leaking, not having competing factions within the white house leaking their stories. >> they want criminal investigations. >> while a policy decision is going on. so she can call that secretive, i think on one level that is running a tight organization. >> but you and i speak as former government official, i agree with you. but i think for her to feel this way about this white house is striking to most republicans who feel like we're usually the targets of such critiques. >> so you feel good. >> i feel indifferent about the -- the white house has the prerogative to keep its inner dealings secret and particularly when they deal with national

security but it's striking to hear "the new york times" who twice endorsed president obama quite glowingly called them the most secretive white house in history. if those were concerns she had two years ago why not air them in the editorial? >> you have spem who have looked at the administration the past 56 years draw a straight line to the nixon administration as far as being the most secretive and sort of, you know, in the fox hole. >> who has done that? >> i'll give you a list. >> okay. all right. >> they are extraordinarily secretive. >> well, look. one man -- >> have talked about it -- >> their press corps is -- >> it's hard to find any administration from the nixon administration forward that has had a tougher approach to the press from tapping. >> to their own press, yes. >> -- to the a.p. lines to fox

news line to limiting access and to not letting photographers not having access. >> to a number of press conferences and he's had fewer press conferences than three predecessors. some of this has to do with the evolution of what is a journalist. >> exactly. >> but i think he has a historical difficult relationship with his own press corps. coming up on "morning joe," david gregory and chuck todd join us and anna quinlil will be on the set. first, bill karins with a check on the forecast. of all places, houston texas has freezing rain. we may see sleet this morning in new orleans. the cold air has made it down to the gulf. it is snowing in central louisiana this morning. it will end by about noon today. the windchill is brutal. minus 23 in chicago and minus 5

in new york and minus 8 in boston and starting to wear on us here. it's going to continue to do so. today, that rare winter storm exits texas and louisiana. still cold in the northeast. there will be some snow and blowing snow up there in minnesota and that will be the theme over the weekend. another big shot of cold air is going to come down. not until probably sunday and monday in the northern plains. actually get a brief warm-up on saturday in the northeast but an inch of snow as the arctic front moves through. unfortunately, here is the bad news. possibly the coldest air of the season. this will rival that so-called polar vortex from about three weeks ago. we are talking monday through wednesday, windchills about minus 40 to minus 50 across from minneapolis to the great lakes. all that cold air heading through new england. the only good news i have to say is that by the end of next week and we head to the super bowl, it will begin to warm up throughout much of the country. d.c., another frigid morning for you. you're watching "morning joe." ♪ never hear from them

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time to take a look at the morning papers. "the new york times." >> you still have your gloves on. >> i'm freezing and i'm not dressed well today. i'm sorry. a "the new york times" author is facing charges for making illegal campaign donations. he urged people to give money to a campaign. records show he donated to only one candidate in 2012 new york republican wendy long who challenged kristen gillibrand. most of this they say was an act of misguided friendship by

d'souza. >> a governor perry manufacture sised he is not for the legalization of marijuana but defended state's rights to make those choices. >> raleigh news in observer. a new report is calling attention to a north carolina school district. one teenage was handcuffed for cutting into the lunch line. >> are you kidding me? >> let me think about that for a second. a complain was filed with the department of justice yesterday. civil rights groups are calling for an investigation. >> and they should. ""the washington times."" a former "american idol" is planning to run for congress in north carolina. clay aiken will take on

republican representative renee elmares. >> he was so good in "american idol." do you like "american idol" now? i really like it with -- not -- j. lo and harry connick. he is very good. he's a father. he tells them to, you know, clean it up. >> there is a third there too. >> who is the other one? >> you don't know? >> i can't remember. >> come on! >> who is the other one? >> what is that? it's keith urban. >> right. >> the great country singer and keith is a great guy too. you see him on there. you can tell he really connects with the kids. i haven't seen like "american idol" and my 10-year-old daughter likes to so guess what i watch? >> you watch "american idol."

>> a new study finds carcinogen in the pepsi one. pepsi argues the levels found in the soda are safe for the average users. unfortunately, americans are not average users. they drink four a day and becob which is a problem. >> california is not really a good example of like setting the bar high for what causes cancer. they think dirt causes cancer. >> if we eradicated soda off the earth, the earth would be a better place and there not one person who knows about health who would disagree with me. >> who would teach the world to sing in perfect harmony? >> exactly. can you believe those commercials? think about it. >> they are awesome. >> it's sick. >> coke adds life, friends. don't ever forgot that. coke adds life.

it's the real thing. "the wall street journal" facebook responds by predicting princeton's demise. >> what? >> faceboon the word princeton report says the university will have no students at the school by 2021 which is kind of funny. >> "the topeka capital journal. >> a man is called to pay child support. the judge rules kansas law requires the couple to use a licensed doctor but since they performed the artificial insemination at home he is not protected under the law. >> wow. okay. >> this weekend's parade magazine features the super bowl edition of what america eats series. in an interview with celebrity chef mario batolli.

all right. and michael simon. coming up next, they say the koch brothers are operating. mike allen has that and plus much more in the morning playbook. ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪

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welcome back to "morning joe." here is a beautiful shot outside. >> nice. >> the sun almost up. isn't that nice? >> where is the sun? >> bustling city. have you guys seen this? >> what is this? >> have you seen this? many call martin o'malley a rising star in the democratic party. the governor was giving his final state of the state and it has people talk for some different reasons. see if you can pick it up. >> this is the future that remains to be one, and it will be one. conclusion. we are standing on the threshold of a new era of american progress. >> now some say that the governor may have read the word

conclusion. >> should have said it -- >> as the advice to draw back listeners to the fact he was going to be finishing up his speech. or did he pull a ron burgundy reading whatever was in the teleprompter? >> well, that is going to do it for all of us here at channel 4 news. you stay classy, san diego. i'm ron burgundy? >> who typed a question mark on the teleprompter? for the last time, anything you put on that prompter, burgundy will read! >> it happens to the best of us. >> it does. >> ah! i think that is cute. >> mika is with us now. >> oh, you've never done anything like that. >> no. i know. >> huh-uh. >> with us now is chief white house correspondent mike allen a wa look at the politico playbook. >> happy friday! >> thank you! >> happy friday! >> there we go. talk about the koch brothers. for people outside, steve

rattner, that aren't new yorkers, they don't realize koch brothers, they give some money to politics but it's just a fraction of what they give to the arts and the lincoln center and so many other places in new york. that's why it's so funny. i mean somebody will scream and yell they gave a hundred thousand in this race and you look at the tens of millions of dollars they have given to the arts and it's a fascinating piece. >> i don't like his politics but he gave $60 million to fix the whole plaza to fix the metropolitan people whemuseum w live. i heard him say people say how did you get rich? so i say to them, well, i went out and when i was a kid bought a dozen apples for two cents each and sold them for four

cents each and tie that money and kept doing it over and over again and then my daddy died and left me $300 million. >> that's funny. >> a likeable guy. >> but i hate his politics. >> i'm sure he hates yours too. one of the lead stories this morning on politico is entitled koch world 2014, mike. how are they planning to impact the races this year? >> mika, great news for steve here. the koch brothers are becoming much more systemic about how they are doing their politics. until now, they mostly have been a bank for right wing conservative pro free market organizations. now, they are going to be centralizing some of their political activity. they are seeing the many mistakes that the party made in 2012 and try to overcome those. so the story by ken vogel reports that some of the koch organizations are hiring a creative director so they can make some of their own ads. they have long had their own

database against they don't depend on the party so they can reach voters. and they are going to be much more tightly controlled about what they do with the group. so we have on the record someone from one of the koch organizations say they plan to grow in 2014 and even more in 2016. >> that really does make sense, doesn't it, nicole? the operation in 2012 was so badly run and people wasted so many donors money in 2012. it was just shocking. >> yeah, the results speak for themselves. any effort to be more coordinated. the outstanding question for me is coordinated with whom? i mean, you still don't have a -- you still need a strong national party. you still need for these efforts to compliment strong leaders who are elected officials. so these efforts, i think, will be fruitless until and unless there are strong national leaders in the republican party,

elected official. >> mike? >> nicole, that is exactly right. what koch operatives would tell you we watched what happened in 2012 and we've watched what the party has done in 2013 coming into 2014. the koch brothers and their organizations did their own aftermath report on 2012. they looked at mistakes that were made. they moved faster to fix those mistakes in their view than the republican party. so it's like another republican party. we have the satellite parties and nicole is right. there is not coordination but that seems to be the new landscape. >> politico's mike allen, happy friday. thank you very much. >> happy weekend. >> thank you, mike. >> thank you. up next, miles that dal will join us for the must read opinion pages. don't go anywhere. we will be right back with much more "morning joe." worst morning ever.

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time now for the must read opinion pages. look at that beautiful sight. gorgeous. we are going to start -- by the way, here with us now is founder chairman and colorado of mdc partners, miles nadal. nicole and rattner back at the table. i'm going to -- >> nicole and rattner? why is it not nicole and steve or wallace and rattner? >> nicole and rattner sounds like a law firm. >> sounds like a comedy act. >> some see it that way. >> it really throws them off. i'm sorry. david, the best. a funny thing happened on the way to the decline of the united states and the rise of china, brazil and other emerging market. many prominent analysts began wondering if the pessimistic predictions about america were wrong. and whether it was the emerging

markets that were heading to trouble. these international economic fads are always suspect, up or down. they seem to follow what i was told years ago facetiously was the guiding rule for columnists simply -- simplified and exaggerate. be aware of this later revisionism like any other variety as global competitors stumble the u.s. is picking up speed. remarkable new she will oil and gas sdrovers are reduced america's energy vulnerability and made it a relatively low cost manufacturing nation. >> i always go back, miles, to 1988 and 1989. everybody was saying japan was on the rise and united states was in decline. a book called "the japan that can say no," they were talking about how we issue such fools and we couldn't make a semiconductor chips, intel explodes two years later and we obliterate their market.

suddenly people that were predicting in 1989 that the united states would beat japan's grainery within 20 years, reading their words two years later. i've been very skeptical on china emerging as this massive market that is going to stomp us into the ground. you know? i mean, we always -- we always have the revisionists. i don't think it's so cut and dry. >> well, if you go back, the world's smartest guy warren buffett in 2008 said i'm going to make a ten-year bet on america. >> yeah. >> and he was right. >> wise bet. >> we actually just plagiarized his bet and it worked. the one thing has is happening now, brazil is having lots of challenges. in fact, the world's richest guy in the country, most of his businesses just went broke and china's growth has slowed significantly. russia and india also slower. the resilience of the american economy is never to be

underestimated and the resourcefulness of the american people. growth is actually picking up, funny enough. you know, look at the market. the market, you know, with the s&p was supp. up 26%. we are trading on a ten-year high on a multiple base and trading 16 times, steve? >> yeah, a little bit more. >> and expecting $117 on s&p. they are talking about the industrial part of america which is very important. we are not talking about the technological development of america. there is an incredible resourcefulness in the tech field for american corporations. think about the most exciting emerging technologies in media and mobile is coming out of the united states. >> it really all is, mika. but we also, obviously, to have a strengthening manufacturing base and you've heard me quote

bismarck before. is there a special province to protect fools and drunkards in the united states of america. we have not really stumbled but we found out we had a lot more oil and a lot more natural gas underground than we thought because of american innovation. and it's going to have extraordinary impact in the next 20 years. >> certainly. steve you have a piece coming out in sunday's "the new york times" looking at manufacturing. manufacturing's mythical revival. you got charts today on the topic. show us. >> yeah, look. i don't disagree with america's fundamental strength but what bothers me people have talked about the renaissance of manufacturing as if it's going to save our economy and bring us back to where we were in manufacturing in the 1950s and '60s and it isn't. take a look first what is happening in manufacturing employment. from 2000 to 2009, we lost 6 million manufacturing jobs and during the so-called revival, we have gotten back about 568,000

jobs that you can see down here at the bottom. manufacturing is actually been the slowest recovering of all these major sectors here. in total jobs, the black line you can see we are at about even. things like education, health, professions and business we are well above where we were four years ago. the rye vifal has been very limited in terms of the number of jobs. >> secondly why do you hate america? what is your next chart? >> the next chart will show you what is happening to pay which is as important as jobs and we talked about it. pay for americans as a whole is relatively flat as can you see. financial service up and education and health up. look at manufacturing and autos down at the bottom. manufacturing pay, this is adjusting for inflation down 2.4% during a recovery over these four years and auto is down 10% over these four years. >> miles, quickly. >> steve, you were critically important to the revival of the

automotive industry. aren't they at record highs in terms of production or pretty close? >> so a couple of things. first, in order to save the autos, we had to get the autoworkers to accept concessions on pay. lower pay is not the american dream. the american dream is higher pay. secondly 2006 to today, those two data points in the u.s. we are producing about 10 million cars about the same number in those two years. in mexico over the same period, 50% more cars produced than in 2006 because the mexican workers get paid around a fifth of what american workers get paid and they are just as productive. you can see that on this last chart which shows pay here is still about $35 an hour and in mexico it's about $6 an hour. >> oh! >> the thing i don't think we judge by what is happening in

2014. i think this is a long-term trend we are going to see the reemergence of manufacturing. number one exporter of oil and natural gas continues to explode and energy costs will be unbelievably low and technological it doesn't make sense to outsource any more and jeff immelt saying it doesn't pay to do that. if you try to get a new product asbestos quickly as possible, build it here. >> i'm not allowed -- >> i still love america and it makes me sad that you -- >> i'm told i'm not allowed to respond to that today but i'd like to come back and get equal time. i love america too but i think we ought to see the world as it is, not as we would like it to be. >> okay, nay sayer. >> oh, no, no. really. >> mr. realist.

>> miles -- not miles. stay with us. >> steve, stay with us too, please. >> you want steve to stick around? >> i do! >> he wants to kick america around. >> i want rattner to stay. we will talk to author anna quindlen and patrick murphy coming up. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com.

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a few years ago a cute little kid was bowl haircut and now drag racing hooligan. here he is in 2007 sweet little guy with a guitar and in 2008 having a great time on stage and

2009 still very innocent looking and 2010, the gloves i could live without and still okay. 2011, a little bit aggressive. but no major red flags. 2012 starting to get into bag of douche territory and then in 2013 shirtless and cocky and pants half off and at that tita. based on my prediction this is what justin bieber will look like in 2018, a few short years from now. >> that is kind after mess. >> look at that. >> he needs to fix that. >> smashed? >> sad. >> louie the xvith? >> wouldn't a rampage. >> it's called a cry for passion. have you heard of that that? crime of passion is a crime of

passion. he is loucky she didn't take th vase and smash it on his head. >> really? here we go. >> $3 million. >> when he declared that he would take 60 days to decide on which of his paramours he was interested in i thought that might be an instigation. >> did he lose you there on that? >> a little bit. i didn't 60 days was fair. >> what do you think of crime of passion? do you guys believe in it? >> no. >> do you guys think it's a legitimate defense? >> no. >> really? >> i know where you're going. >> i don't know if it's a legitimate legal defense but i think it's a legitimate action. >> it is a mitigation defense. >> yes. >> yeah, it is. >> do you believe it's credible? >> absolutely. >> me too. >> i mean, and why someone is upset is relevant to how we ethically look at their conduct. >> exactly.

>> i think it's a perfectly good excuse for inflicting pain. welcome back to "morning joe." nicole wallace and niles nadal is still with us and moderator of "meet the press" david gregory is with us. >> i don't want to be where passion filled crimes are necessary. >> also with us is nbc news chief white house correspondent, chuck todd, and host of "the daily rundown." >> thank you, ma'am. could i have another? >> here on the set, host of "the cycle" on msnbc. federal prosecutors are demanding years of documents from chris christie's re-election campaign and state republican party is part of their bridge closure investigation. subpoenas from a u.s. attorney went out yesterday. they also cover communications

with ousted stafferer bried kelly and david wildstein and bill baroni and new developments in the case of hoboken mayor da dawn zimmer. according to "the new york times" several witnesses have told federal authorities zimmer alerted them to the incident as early as may. two of the witnesses were aides to the mayor. >> nicole, repeat what you had last hour about when the subpoenas start flying inside a political office, how distracting and how draining it is. >> yeah, david will remember this. he covered the bush white house at the time when we were dealing with a lot of -- our colleagues receiving subpoenas in the grand jury investigation of the valerie plame leak. and the process of having to retain defense lawyers, of having to sit before the grand jury sucks an intangible amount

of cosmic energy out of the advisers around you. so even if, with the exception of scooter libby, nobody was found to have done anything wrong inside the bush white house but the time it took for all of those people would be worried about their dr financial financially. these are not high paying jobs and then to pay to defend yourself. >> i thought the whole thing was disgusting the way the u.s. attorney's office did it. fitzgerald knew exactly who leaked it. >> the whole time. >> the whole entire time and basically lied to the american people and made them believe he had no idea. the people that were going through that wringer every frid friday. you know, karl rove you guys would be alerted this is the friday that karl rove gets indicted. and he never got indicted, of course. this has -- so now it's going to be the christie people that are

going to be going through this and it's got to have pretty devastating impact on a guy who a month ago was seen as a shoo-in for the republican nomination in '16. >> yeah, i think what nicole says is important. we often throw around terms in cover politics. politician or a political operation gets distracted but there is a level of stress associated with a criminal inquiry like this or even a legislative inquiry that sucks a lot of the oxygen out of the room. it was so stressful for president bush too that it became the most stressful around the issue of pardoning or not pardoning "scotter" libby there at the end of his term. all of that energy becomes very, very stressful as you're worried about what the inquiry is going to find. and i think that -- at a particular moment for krais and a political operation is trying to get organized and is trying to get organized without the glare of the spotlight right now. a lot of groundwork has to be done and fund-raising has been

to be done and he doesn't want to do this with bright light of the media glare and i think that is an important difference. even george w. bush at the time when he was building his run for the white house, did not quite have this glare. of course, while he was a governor and he was a national figure, but not in the way that christie has become. >> chuck todd, chris christie also a former federal prosecutor. he understands exactly how deep this fishing expedition can go. >> he does. i think that that is, you know, that has always been why some are surprised he didn't question bridget kelly himself and try to get to the bottom of this and maybe that had to do with some legal protection in his own right. look. the thing that he has got to be concerned about and we know what is he up to because he is a u.s. attorney he knows what he is up to. they are looking for a weak link and looking for somebody to break. now, it is -- we have already heard from wildstein saying give

me immunity and wait until the story i got to tell you and that can't be comforting to some folks in the christie world or to the governor himself. but we know that the more you spread this out, the more, if you're chris christie, even if you don't think you did anything wrong, you're worried that somebody may crack under the stress of this. >> it's going to take a long time. >> legal scrutiny can be a terrific problematic undertow for politics regardless whether anybody around you has done anything wrong but people resigning over these problems. the report from mcdonnell they may have offered as limited a plea as one count. but, of course, when he didn't take it, they are now looking at 14 counts. >> piling on. >> i did speak to attorney general holder about that yesterday. his view being, look. bribery is a very serious charge. we always pursue these charges seriously.

it is not politics as usual. >> wait. why did he think that the united states had to get involved when the state of virginia, i would think, since it was their laws, their ethics guidelines, they took a pass on it. you've got democrats who dominate that state now. why did eric holder feel like the federal government should go and tell virginia its business better than virginia could tell its own business, when you had a state that is completely dominated by democrats? >> i think it's a fair question. i asked him about the federal inquiries into now these two governors, state officials. their answer is always federal laws are broken, that is what they are pursuing and in virginia they are looking at things like the counts include interstate wire transfers and may not sound terrible to leach but it gives the feds, they think, a jurisdiction. the folks are innocent until proven at any stage right now, the counterargument for these guys is, look. you put any amount of politics

under a microscope and start talking about vague senses of people who thought they got a promise or who thought they got a benefit, a lot of folks don't come out looking good. you know mcdonnell's attorneys say they will fight this hard and this was routine. that is their argument. >> david it's what i've said a couple of days now. since this is how virginia works -- not to this wretched access. the 43-page indictment is absolutely disgusting what they did but we do really want to go back and look at the past, let's say, five virginia governors match up with their contributions with the people that gave them the contributions with what they got from the state of virginia? i would guess you're going to find something probably even greater than let's say a launch party for a pill. >> and this is why the law is so difficult here to actually prove the quid pro quo is difficult. you listen to the governor saying, gosh, i thought this was

a real friendship here and generosity and it wasn't to get some sort of access. you get into a very fuzzy world here, i agree. again, that when these are tough cases to be brought and tough cases to win, to prove that you actually got something for that access. >> while we are on the -- >> by the way, chuck todd, has he answered to the question of the next? >> oh, good! >> i do? >> yes. libi libido. >> the word libido? >> i want to know exactly what he meant. >> they call me richard dawson. >> the talk is look to the governors for real leaders. we have three more stories, i think, about governors in hot water or at least shag things that are a hot mess. mike huckabee has expressed an interest to run for president again. he proves he can bring washington together with his record in arkansas.

he might have to win over critics following yesterday's comments about the gop's approach to woo back female voters. here goes. >> the republicans don't have a war on women. they have a war for women. for them to be empowered to be something other than victims of their gender. women i know are outraged that the democrats think that women are nothing more than helpless and hopeless creatures whose only goal in life is to have the federal provide for them birth control medication. women i know are smart, intelligent and capable of doing anything anyone else can do. our party stands for the recognition of the equality of women and the capacity of women. that's not a war on them. it's a war for them. and if the democrats want to insult the women of america by making them believe that they are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system

without the help of the government, then so be it. let us take that discussion all across america because women are far more than the democrats have played them to be and women across america need to stand up and say enough of that nonsense. >> msnbc political director chuck todd will now put this speech in its proper context. chuck, go for it. >> thanks for putting me on this one. look. the issue of contraception and this is where i think that the republicans fell. are falling into a trap politically on this issue, you know, abortion is one issue and i think that it's a very -- we're very polarized on it, depending on how you ask the question, people fall basically the country is pretty split between one definition of pro choice and one defensive of pro life and, again, depending on how you want to divide up that -- divide up, you know, the issue of abortion rights, how legal people want it, things like that.

it's contraception has been this, quite frankly, political trap. the democrats may have set and sort of what mike huckabee is saying. but i think this conversation has gone off the rails for the republicans is when they have gotten into contraception. that is where i think there are some women who are just not listening to anything else of the republican message because they are going, wait a minute, why are we having a debate about contraception? i thought that was settled? we are not having -- >> 1965 to be exact. >> abortion, we're not settled we are not politically settled but why are we having a discussion on contraception? there are some women that aren't listening to any other part of the message from the republicans because they can't get past that. >> exactly. clearly, we can't control ourselves! >> thanks, mika. >> yeah. new york governor, on to another one. andrew cuomo is in some hot water on comments he made last week on the state of the republican party in his state.

take a listen to this. >> who are they? are they these extreme conservatives who are right to life pro-assault weapon, anti-gay? is that who they are? because if that is who they are and if they are the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of new york. >> state and national republicans were quick to demand an apology and bobby jindal invited to his state who were offended to that. sounds like he was referring to hatred as opposed to ideology. >> not when you put pro life on that list. david gregory, people have talked about him running for national office, but, my god,

basically saying if you're pro life. >> pro gun. has he been to upstate new york? >> yeah, right. >> i lived in upstate new york for five years. it's really -- it's the midwest. stunning comments that he made. >> well, i also think -- look. this is 2014. this is a midterm year where you're going to have lower turnout, more base elements of each party coming out. and i think you just heard in those last two clips more of an effort to play to the base. and to create sharper extremes. i do think one of the big stories on the left right now in the democratic party is how to get right with progressives and the liberal base of the party and i think cuomo is talking about creating the sharp lines. democrats will want it and still want to talk about guns they will want to talk about gay marriage and gay rights and on

their own right, they are going to want to talk about women and talk about abortion in the way that it creates a huge wedge with some of these people they are going to be running against. >> i think a style issue here, too. andrew cuomo has been a big wall street governor. he has worked against de blasio on funding for prek. he is not a darling of progressives. a lot of people him him in the progressive community a phony but what he does is stylistic outrage so this one went over where he usually goes because he has gotten in some trouble. i think a lot of times he likes to use language and certain social issues to mask the rest of his agenda which is relatively centrist. >> they are aspiring ads until you look at your paycheck and see how much new york state and new york city takes out of it. >> well, look. it hasn't changed materially. new york has been very good for

us. i'm more worried about the country than i am about the state. i'm more worried about the impact of obamacare on our cost structure than i am about the state tax issues locally. i have more concerns about our principle desire is stimulate employment which i think is the number one issue that the country faces, that people aren't dealing with. the state is still very pro creating employment here. it's been good for us. but i think obamacare is the critical issue. i mean, you know, this whole issue of part-time workers and raising the minimum wage, raising the minimum wage doesn't deal with the fundamental issue that when you take employment hours from 42 full-time to 29 part-time no increase in the minimum wage is going to offset the depletion of income. >> and the loss of health care benefits. >> and the loss of health care benefits.

i think that is a bigger issue. but look. obviously, state taxes are high and there is an exodus of large corporations going outside of the state intentionally because of the cost. >> ari, let's move on to your interview with eric holder. you talked about it before. >> yeah. >> here is a portion of that discussion. this is about edward snowden. >> now also in the new york interview when the president was asked about potential deals of clemency for edward snowden some say are on the table, he said not a yes or no issue. does that mean a deal of some kind is still possible for mr. snowden? >> he is a person who is charged and will be charged with a variety of crimes when he has legal representation and if those lawyers want to talk about a resolution of the case, we would, obviously, engage in those conversations. >> but that means you haven't

ruled it out? >> the notion of clemency, a simple, you know, no harm, no foul, i think that would be going too far, but in the resolution of this matter, with an exception of responsibility, you know, we would always, you know, engage in those kinds of conversations. >> what else did you learn from the attorney general? >> we learned that he thinks the debate over the nsa program's legality is over. i asked him directly to get his first on the record for response to the board statement that this was illegal and he said they are wrong. he said the vast number of judges have looked at this, including the spy court itself when it looks at it constitutionally have said these programs are legal. i pushed back to a d.c. court ruling saying the data is probably unconstitutional. he is a former judge himself and he said that is over. the question is more about policy and law he is working with james clapper on that.

on snowden, he said what any prosecutor would say, sure, we will have conversations about a potential plea but he was very clear when i said the question over whether anything revealed by snowden is good for our democracy or potentially illegal and people say that might make him most of a whistle-blower and he said people are hung up on this and he objects that whole obsession and he looks at him as a defendant. that is what he said. those are strong words from him as a prosecutor. >> ari, good to have you on the show morning. watch more from his interview with attorney general eric holder today on "the cycle" at 3:00 p.m. on msnbc. david and chuck, stay with us, because up next, the editor of "the new york times" calls this white house the most secretive she's ever seen. we will you have weigh in on that. plus newly relieved portions of president's beach and he explains why he hasn't been able to reach out to republicans. that is next when "morning joe" comes right back.

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okay. the sun is coming up over washington. look at that. let's continue our political roundtable. david gregory and chuck todd are in washington and steve rattner and miles nadal and nicole wallace back at the table here in new york. first of all, president obama came into office in 2009 pledging a more transparent government but some journalists who deal with the administration say the president has not lived up to that promise. "the new york times" editor jill abramson opened up about her experiences in an interview yesterday saying, in part, quote, this. i would say it's the most secretive white house that i've ever been involved in covering. and i spent 22 years of my career in washington and covered presidents from president reagan on up through now. the obama administration has had

seven criminal leak investigations and more than twice the number of any previous administration in our history. it is on a scale never seen before. this is the most secretive white house that at least as a journalist i have ever dealt with. >> david gregory, you were there covering george w. bush while nicole was -- >> keeping secrets? >> i never loved david. >> nicole finds this ironic. i'm sure you do too. >> i think there is a difference. i think what jill abramson is talking precisely the leak investigations and i think what she and others find so troubling. >> that's not what she said, david. she said they are the most secretive white house in history. >> right. >> period. >> right. but what what her example is talking about criminal leak investigations as opposed to, you know, day in and day out practices in terms of access. there has been a lot of those debates even in the more mundane daily access questions that

chuck is familiar with day in and day out. but i think -- and that is where the white house, the president, the attorney general seem conflicted about this. you know, they say, look. if there are criminal leaks of classified information, then that is against the law and we got to pursue it. i think some of their progressive sensibilitied are defended by that and i don't think they have consistent about this. >> chuck todd, there has been a great frustration in the room you work in day in and day out. >> yeah. >> it has nothing to do with the leak investigations. this white house has seemed openly contempus of people who are in the position that you and others whose job it is to cover the white house day in and day out. this is a wide ranging problem, is it not? >> just very controlling. i mean, that's probably the best word to use. okay? and the thing is that i sort of look at this and take the long view and i get it that every --

i think every white house wants to control their own message and they want to control access and they want to decide what is news and what is not. but it is amazing to me this white house does get obsessed when something, quote/unquote, leaks. they seem to be sometimes more worried about well, who did it? how did this get out? rather than dealing with the story itself. >> chuck, i'm sorry. except when they leak sensitive information in the middle of political campaigns that shows the president being the tough guy who decides which targets to pick out when he is killing terrorists. yeah, it's a little ironic, is it not? >> right. my point is that i think that this is -- it's funny. i think they think, nicole, you'll find this interesting. thif they think they are aren't doing anything more or less than the bush white house. i think they think they are carrying on precedence in some

of these things and it may be that that is just their perception and not the reality. >> are they, chuck? >> what is that? >> are they? >> i didn't cover the bush white house. >> are they taking it to another level? >> i can't say because i wasn't there covering the bush white house as closely as i cover the obama white house. i think it takes technology to go around the press in a way we have never seen any other white house do and maybe that is because of technology and maybe it's not. but when you take that, you take the access limitations, you throw in the aggressive prosecution or attempts to prosecute leakers and i think it paints the larger picture that jill abramson was trying to paint, boy, these guys are controlling and secretive but to your point, they are selectively secretive and they don't think they are when they think it's a political benefit. move on to this. the new yorker has released new

excepts from david remnick's interview with president obama. the president pushed back against the notion he doesn't step enough time with members of congress and doesn't try to twist arms like lbj. quote, there have been times where i've been contrained by the fact that i had two young daughters who i wanted to spend time with and that i wasn't in a position to work the social scene in washington. but having said all that, the issue has been the inability of my message to penetrate the republican base so that they feel persuaded that i'm not the caricature that you see on fox news or rush limbaugh but i'm interested in solving problems and pretty practical and that a lot of the things we have put in place worked better than people might think. >> what do you think, mika, about him talking about than constrained by having two young daughters and not able to work the social scene? >> i think the social scene is important, unfortunately.

i think it's game. you can get too caught up in it like, for example, the governor's wife of virginia where you care about all of these other things but you got to connect with people. and your families have to interconnect with them. i think it changes the connection of the debate. >> i think for women and men, you know, making choices like that still come with consequences. even when you're president of the united states, people think in the official washington you're aloof or you don't want to engage if you make those kinds of choices. what i think is interesting too. i had a great conversation yesterday for our press pass conversation we do with the great civil war gettysburg and the comparisons between obama and lincoln. david made the comparison that the strength of the argument is enough in and of itself whereas lincoln believed that every time he was before people, the public, or in smaller groups that he was in front of a jury.

and that he had to persuade and work it, work it, working it and use all of the levers of power that he has. i think this president thinks there is such huge structural difficulties in the way and the politics being what they are that it's more of a fantasy to think that if he worked it harder, the results would be different. >> that is the most frustrating thing, i must say, of a management of this white house, steve rattner, that they think that somehow working it, working on relationships. >> is beneath them. >> even if you don't want to say beneath them. the whole idea is we invited somebody over to watch the super bowl and people are against it so we are not going to do it. business doesn't work that way and politics doesn't work that way. you wonder where this attitude comes from that you can just stand alone. people very close to him who worked with him forever have

told me the most frustrating thing is he says something and then he xp. >> he think if you make the right decisions and explain clearly once everybody will understand this is what you should do. he has said, for example, he regrets that during his first year, he didn't go out in the country more and try to sell obamacare and all of these programs. >> that is a long regret, though. that is the long regret every president thinks if i can go out and give speeches. no, the regret should be that you didn't go and work the people that actually have to pass the legislation. the people in the country will not pass your legislation for you. every president makes this mistake. >> okay. fair point. now, the other point i was trying to make. >> please, god. >> the other point i was trying

to make was i agree there was time in his schedule to do more of that kind of stuff, i do think that the comparisons of this to lincoln or the comparisons of this to lbj are kind of misplaced because we are in a different world. >> no, we are not. >> yes we are. >> no, we're not. >> bill clinton could go sit down with newt gingrich and do a deal and do a deal. >> this is a fantasy that has been -- that has been concocted for the benefit and the excuse making of barack obama for five years. congressmen used to -- each other on the floor. everybody. george w. -- everybody that we tried to kill bill clinton politically, democrats tried to kill george w. bush politically. nothing has changed! go back and read history! look at the election of 1800! look how politics was conducted through the 19th century. ask richard nixon's people after al jerhist whether people

weren't wanting to kill him every day politically. washington today is how washington was when i was there. it was like washington was when aaron burr was there and like washington from the beginning. >> the james roe administration was one of the most controlling that i have ever seen. but look. george bush had this problem as well as president. you know, it was gates and his memoir who observed that both obama and president bush were neither loved nor feared on capitol hill and i think president bush had some of this aloofness as well. he may have tried early on and wasn't really able to conduct to daschle that well when he tried to court him and socialize with him a little bit. i think he had some of the same problems and felt that it became pointless at some point as well so it's not just president obama. >> david, david, he had ted kennedy over immediately. they worked on an education bill that was a horror to

conservatives. he constantly was working democrats. in fact, there were one republican after another complained for four years, we campaigned for george w. bush. why is it that he is always inviting democrats over to the bli white house? he constantly worked it. i talk about the surge. 80% of americans were against the surge. george bush kept pushing and kept working it. he got the surge done. i don't see the comparison. >> the surge is about working it. >> there is another issue here with obama and that is you can sometimes be a victim of your past and in this case, president obama had two sort of experiences working across the aisle that went really well for him and frankly came a bit easy. one is the harvard law review where conservatives backed his candidacy and he won and it was simply because he had an open dialogue and that happened and suddenly he figured out how do

you ideologically unite harvard law review. these stuff matters. when he was in the illinois state legislature he worked across the aisle and ethic things and stuff like that. these are his personal experiences. and so when the same thing didn't work right away when he came to washington, i think he said, well, geez, you know, it's so much harder. this is the way -- his personal experience was he knew one way of working across the aisle and it worked for him before he was president and then when it didn't work that way, i think they did sort of throw up their hands. i think as president, you got to go 80% of the way. this is not a 50/50 proposition. you guys on capitol hill want to be overly courted and not just courted. >> i know we have to go but when you're invited to the white house to meet with the president to watch a movie and go to a state dinner, what do you do? >> well, you go. i certainly would go.

>> i can tell you a list of attempts that were made. >> i know this list, mika! this is not -- that is not reaching out! reaching out is making a phone call during the working day. reaching out is sometimes finding out things about them that they need in their state that have nothing to do with your agenda! because they are concerned about it. this is not about super bowl parties. this is not about state dinners. and i think that that has been a defense and i get it and i would use it, i would use it too because you don't want this to become a narrative that you don't know how to reach out but i think that is a -- that paper is over what they are not doing on the business end of this. >> this is a day in and day out effort and i will talk about a democratic president. bill clinton, day in and day out, his own people would be you can impeach him and golf with him in the afternoon. we were having conversations about this very subject. being president of the united states requires that you have no

memory. you have constantly got to work with people who you know would kill you if they had a chance politically. >> engagement is an attitude, not just an event. and you're right. there are some people that are engaged in the process of constant, you know, dealing with impersonal ways to engage in a way that you feel that there is some mutuality of the common mission. >> yeah. exactly. >> david, we are going to be watching your interview with senator rand paul on sunday's "meet the press." that should be interesting. and chuck, we will see you coming up on "the daily rundown." thank you both. miles nadal, thank you. "morning joe" will be right back.

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>> i'm looking at it differently than a lot of the other veterans who have come home. i did war when i was in my 20s and i came back and now here i am in my 40s doing it again. >> that was a clip from the series "taking the hill." joining us is the former congressman, host of the series, patrick murphy. patrick, my gosh. none of us can begin to understand what you and what all of these other vets have been through and that is really the key, isn't it? they come home to a completely different world than they left and being just able to relate to somebody that without saying anything. how important is that? >> it's critical important. is there a divide in this nation. 2.5 million veterans that served in iraq or afghanistan that is less than 1% of american. not that they don't care but there is a ground swell of support for troops but that

connecting back when they come back home is why this new show that msnbc is launching "taking the hill" is so important story hanson, talking about physical fitness, is awesome. it's the documentary, this sunday, it's going to be great. >> how disillusioning is it for the troops, when it comes time to cut the budgets, it goes to retirees and military first. >> a lot of them don't have skin in the game, joe. the amount of veterans serving now, 18%. it used to be 78% in the '70s. these folks don't understand. when they do a budget deal, which, again, i'm glad they did the budget deal, but to put it on the backs of veterans. $6 billion cut from the heroes, including disabled veterans, and i don't care if you're a democrat or republican, if you

screw with the vetveterans, i'm coming after you. >> you're showing the connective tissue that exists for all of the men and women. my dad is a vietnam vet. i think he's an aloof cat, so he could be somewhere else. but the interesting thing, and i think my dad would speak to this and others would, as well, these men and women get a little interrupted by what they've done because of the service and what they've seen. talk about that on the back end, and what we need to do as a country to be committed to that interruption that they face to help them re-engage back into life, jobs, career, family? >> part of it is reaching out to them, hey, welcome home. thanks for your service. what can i do to help? do you need a job? do you need someone to talk to? being there is critically important. just reintegrating back into society. as you know, as joe mentioned, there's 22 veterans every day that commit suicide. it's getting worse, it's not getting better. and it's not that -- >> and the homeless crisis, the

suicide crisis -- >> right. >> -- the family crises, it's devastating. >> right. and i would say to someone, make sure you hire them when they come home. and the great veterans, and this is what's tough, because there are veterans doing great things in america. i mean, guys like my buddy, congressman tom rooney of florida, conservative in florida, kicking butt and taking names in washington. so that's positive. you can't leave anyone behind, and there are too many being left behind, where it's tbi -- traumatic brain injury -- or homelessness, and we have to do more in this country. that's why with this show, we're doing what we can to get the word out. and we have kirsten gillibrand on, talking about the military sexual assaults, also critically important. >> what do the veterans hope comes of this, that you worked with on this? >> well, one, when i'm part of the show, i get inspired. you know, i watched -- we had these minidocumentaries within the hour program, and it fires

you up. i know this big sarge, wounded warrior project, has produced these mini-documentaries, and you watch it, and it's about physical fitness, how you can combat depression and anxiety back home. and there are platoons, veterans out there, like team, red, white, and blue. this is a 30,000-person organization, veterans and civilians, in every town in america that are out there, they work out for free. they get together every thursday night, or they run a couple of miles, do yoga. and it's civilians, too. and it's a network the veterans need that we're trying to -- >> civilians need. >> right. we both need it. the country needs it. >> no doubt about it. thank you so much, congressman. it's always great to see you. >> you, too, joe. >> we can't wait to see "taking the hill." gosh, we need more shows like this. it's going to be airing sunday at 1:00 p.m. eastern on msnbc. make sure you watch it. faith on fridays discussions explores the rapid change in the middle east and what it means for those caught in the crossfire.

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♪ up next, if you're a woman thinking about voting republican, please, i ask you, don't watch our next segment. mike huckabee -- look, there's uncle sugar right there. all right.

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and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. ♪ ♪ as long as you love me >> tonight -- >> on the broadcast tonight -- >> welcome to "world news tonight" -- >> fans and followers have watched lately as the life of justin bieber has seemingly come off the rails. >> -- so much promise, so much wealth suffering staggering falls. >> justin bieber was arrested in

miami beach early this morning after the police say they caught him drag racing in a lamborghini. >> a very different bieber dressed in prison orange biting his lip as he faced charges of dui and resisting arrest. >> can you name a justin bieber song? >> i will have to take the fifth on that one. ♪ as long as you love me >> who did that? >> i'm going to blame t.j. >> good morning. i'm glad he made the news last night. >> we'll be talking about that in a second. it is friday, january 24th. >> talk about what? >> his outfit. >> well, so he's wearing gloves inside? >> it's cold. >> that's weird, man. >> leave him alone. that kid is a mess. >> we're not making fun of him. we're making fun of the newscasts. >> he has addiction issues -- >> he's 19. do you remember being 19? >> i remember being a 19-year-old billionaire. it was hard.

>> it was hard. >> miley cyrus, the whole thing, it's gross. >> orange is the new bieber. [ laughter ] >> yeah, former communications director for president george w. bush nicole wallace, also in jail for a while. >> where are your gloves? >> they made me take mine off. >> yeah, former treasury official and "morning joe" economic analyst steve ratner, the host of "way too early" thomas robertson. mika, the gloves. >> i'm freezing. what's your excuse, thomas? >> i thought it was casual friday. >> that's the most prepared casual friday i have ever seen. >> yeah, you should at least lose the jacket. >> i do set my clothes out the night before. >> i'm sure you do. >> i didn't shave today either. what do you think? >> i think that was preplanned, too. >> yeah. >> it's not an effortless look. >> i think i can say that when alex is right, he pointed this out, i set my clothes out, too, the night before, because i sleep in them, and throw them off did. >> usually the same ones you wear the day before. >> they are. i know they are. >> well, we're all kind of off.

>> i thought this was nice. >> it is. [ overlapping speakers ] i like the sweater. can we see it without the jacket? >> no. >> see it without the jacket? >> no, no, no. >> i won't be objectified like this. >> you have to teach me how to do a pocket square. >> double-stick tape. see? double-stick tape. >> i'm going to get glasses. can you help me choose them? they're coming in a week. enough about us. and you. >> how's your swelling? has it gone down? >> oh, my god, i am on so many pills for antihistamines and ailail ailer ailer i goes. -- allergies. >> i've got hives. how are you doing, steve? >> i'm doing great. my health is perfect. >> any health issues? >> i can't think of a single one. >> come on, share. >> i was a little late this morning, because a cab -- the car was getting in was waiting

for me, coming out of my apartment, and a cab could not wait 2 milliseconds and decided to side-swipe my car to get past it, because -- >> because of the snow on the ground. >> it's him rattling the doors. >> that was de blasio, by the way, in that cab. >> my street was not plowed once. >> of course, it wasn't, you're on the upper east side. >> i won't be a donny and tell you all about -- >> in the good old days, people knocked on the doors of the townhouses tone sure the residents were okay. >> yeah, they really did. >> i didn't have that instant rewind feature. >> de blasio, how about take it out on the upper east side, though. you talk about how quick political retribution, and they don't vote for him in the democratic primary, all. the outer boroughs, and does not plow -- >> outer boroughs? the west side was clean. >> i will tell you that on

tuesday -- >> punish the upper east side. >> on tuesday, we know how it felt to live in queens. >> yeah. [ laughter ] >> now you sound like donny. >> when mayor bloomberg was in office. >> if you tell me i sound like donny, i'm going to leave. >> all right. some news. >> let's go to the news. federal prosecutors are demanding years of documents from chris christie's re-election campaign and the state republican party as part of the bridge-closure investigation. subpoenas from a u.s. attorney went out yesterday. they also cover communications with ousted staffer bridget kelly and former port authority officials david wildstein and bill baroni. and new developments in the case of hoboken mayor dawn zimmer. she says the state's lieutenant governor pressured her to green-light a development or risk hurricane sandy funding. according to "the new york times," several witnesses have told federal authorities zimmer alerted them to the incident as early as may. , corroborating her story. two of the witnesses were aides

to the mayor. >> subpoenas go out, not good. >> it's just going to draw -- what it's going to do, at the very least, if there's nothing, is make a messy sideshow for a long time that coo be damaging, and at the worst, they're going to find something and it's just -- >> when it does, though. i worked in the white house at a time when there were subpoenas issued with the valerie flame leak investigation, and it sucks an intangibleability of cosmic energy from the people around the principal. so i actually was in touch with one of the governor's advisors last night. how's it going? and he said, you know, the governor has the reputation that he has in a state and nationally because of the things he's accomplished while governing. so that will be the focus. but no doubt, having been through this at the white house, it does suck a lot of emotional

energy, creates a lot of anxiety, and it's also very expensive. these people have to retain counsel and government jobs doesn't pay well enough for the kind of defense lawyers they're going to need to hire. >> that will get into loyalty, too. >> it will freeze everybody in there, right? >> well, just look at the story now. the story now has totally become what christie did or didn't do during bridgegate, during sandy, during this, that, and nobody is talking about christie as a presidential candidate. it's going to complicate what he does in the rga job this year. it's a bad distraction for him. >> what impact do subpoenas have on libido? >> i think we should ask mike huckabee. >> is that a transition? >> i can get uncle sugar on the phone and he could tell us. >> i want to know who uncle sugar, too. >> yeah, what am i missing? i know the bieb was, and i know that was his song at the beginning, but i have no idea who uncle -- >> all right. here's the story -- >> i'm going to start calling

t.j. uncle sugar. >> that's definitely who uncle sugar is. what he says in my ear inappropriately. mike huckabee, here's the story, mike huckabee has expressed interest in making another run for president. we've heard that. >> check. >> saying his record as governor of arkansas proves he can bring washington together. >> check. >> check. he'll have some work to do to win over critics, though, following yesterday's comments about the gop's approach feme v. >> the republicans don't have a war on women. they have a war for women, for them to be empowered, to be something other than victims of their gender. women i know are outraged that the democrats think women are nothing more than helpless and hopeless creatures whose only goal in life is to have the government provide for them birth control medication. women i know are smart, educated, intelligent, capable of doing anything that anyone else can do. our party stands for the

recognition of the equality of women and the capacity of women. that's not a war on them. it's a war for them. and if the democrats want to insult the women of america by making them believe that they are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control, because they cannot control their libido or reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it. let us take that discussion all across america, because women are far more than the democrats have played them to be, and women across america need to stand up and say, enough of that nonsense. >> nicole, you wrote the speech. what were you thinking? [ laughter ] >> blame it on the teleprompter, right? i mean, that's always a good one. uncle sugar, could that have been written in there? >> he wasn't using teleprompter. he's very skilled. >> shh. >> sorry. >> what do you think? >> well -- well, thank god for uncle sugar.

>> what? listen, there were words in there and phrases that i liked, but the message to me got totally clouded over by uncle sugar. >> i was going to say, the first 45 seconds was fine. >> yeah. he had me. >> and then he starts talking about -- >> talking about women jumping all over people unless the government gives them pills. >> news for mike huckabee, i don't know how it is in his household, but most guys i talk to say wives get prescriptions once a month not because of the wives' libido, but because they're afraid of other people's libido inside the house is going to get them pregnant. i don't think -- i don't think it goes that way with most of the guys that i talk to. >> i mean, it should be a rule -- >> oh, my god, my wife -- my wife is going crazy. >> she's all over me. >> -- they should not talk about -- they should just scrap the word libido from their -- >> what was the point of that?

seriously, did he say women -- i'm going to say -- >> they're trying to turn back, and this is something that the winter meeting wanted to do, was to turn back the war on women message and get that away from democrats, so when these conversations do come up for people who are pro-life, that it isn't already -- >> that's very intellectual, but is he saying women can't control their sex drive and are jumping all over people -- >> no, he's saying democrats treat women like the only thing they care about is access to birth control pills. >> right. but can we just -- >> well, then, he did say what mika just said at the end. that was the last part. and the reason they all care about birth control pills is because they can't control their libido. >> he said democrats act like women can't control their libido. >> this is getting back to the narrative of slut shaming when it comes -- if old white men could get pregnant, abortion would be a constitutional right. that's all there is to it. if old white men could get

pregnant, it would be a constitutional -- >> oh, my lord, yeah. >> he was trying to couch the democratic argument that it's -- >> how well has the conversation happened when old white guys from the republican party get up and talk about the reproductive female system -- >> don't think -- i don't think any man should sit around and talk about female libido on television or in a stump speech. >> what democrats have gotten tripped up by talking about a woman's right to choose -- >> none i could think of. i think as a political matter, keeping it focused on what you're for instead of trying to characterize the democrats' efforts, because he had a good point there. and we now have a woman, very respected woman, senior woman in the house republican leadership delivering the republican response to the state of the union. you know, we may have been on the verge of stringing together a few positive steps. but this obviously is a distraction. >> and we talked about this during the 2012 campaign early on, especially in the primaries.

the fact of the matter is that americans are becoming more on social issues becoming more progressive on gay marriage. they're becoming more conservative on abortion. they just are. you look at the lines over the past 20, 30 years, because of technology, we talked about it before, it's because of the 3-d imaging. it's because viability is earlier. poll after poll after poll shows americans are becoming -- >> because younger people are. it's not that people are changing. >> younger people are. they go in, they see the 3-d imaging, and they realize, you know, when somebody says it's just a lump, it's just a fetus, or it's just a this, a that -- >> it happened to you. >> -- yeah, they see their little baby in there. and, you know, very early on, i saw, you know, the profile of jack. i mean, my gosh, like the first, you know, the first time we looked at jack in utero, and you

can look at him today. it's the same, exact profile on his nose. that's having a radical impact. and nonideological impact. just sort of an impact on this debate. all the more reason for republicans to shut the hell up when they're going to say stupid things about rape or women's libido or other things. where for every three people out somewhere that they think they may impress, they have offended 300,000, and it got to the point, as i said time and time again, that women in my household who had never voted for a democrat in their life, in the early stages, and who were all pro-life, who worked for republicans on capitol hill and were conservatives through and through, were saying about a month or two into the republican

primary in 2012, "i'm tired of these men talking about my reproductive system. and i may vote democratic." >> what would that group think about mike huckabee? >> they would laugh their asses off. >> do you think if the republican party and everybody, if we came to the table and had a -- you know, an adult conversation about what birth control means for women, and if the right became supportive of birth control, wouldn't that help with the pro-life narrative? >> right is supportive of birth control. >> there, he's the fact not supportive of uncle sugar. you get your medicine. >> this is what's so damaging is that some of the things that rick santorum said very early on in interviews, in iowa, he

talked how he was going to use his platform to talk about contraception. and, you know, mike huckabee is bringing contraception into the debate. we should stay away from contraception. we shouldn't talk about rape. i mean, as far as, like, explaining medically why all the stupid things they explain. i mean -- >> i still don't understand what he meant about controlling -- >> griswold, connecticut, 1965, or so, this was established as a constitutional right for all americans in, like, 1965. 1965. that's 48 years ago. so anyway -- >> so it may be a tad bit yesterday. >> the reason for alarm among republican women is, here we are again. here we are again having this conversation. and mike huckabee does not represent part of the party that typically makes these kind of gaffes. >> right. >> he's enlightened. >> yeah. >> he's a wonderful man. and a gifted politician. so it's surprising -- >> it's surprising.

>> -- here we are again -- >> he's a great politician. >> i want to hear him explain this. >> a great politician, and he doesn't usually step on himself like this. yeah, a lot of pro-life women out there. a lot of pro-life women out there. they don't want to hear this kind of talk. >> and you all, you're sure -- well, i'm just -- i'm going to say, i don't know how he explains that comment. >> uncle sugar? >> no, forget uncle sugar. reporters covered it, highlighted the points, and went back and made the point he was describing his opinion of how democrats treat women. >> but you're not helping me explain what he was saying. >> i can't do any better than that. >> let me explain -- >> what does he think democrats think of women and their libidos? >> he is saying that democrats treat women like the only thing they care about from the government are getting pills paid for them once a month, and he says democrats -- let me finish, because you keep asking

the question, and i'm answering it, so listen. >> thank you, yes. >> so they're acting as if democrats -- dkt democrats are acting -- and i want people at home to get this -- the only thing women care about from the government is getting a pill once a month, because they can't control their libido. and they want to have sex all the time. and it's just that i wonder why a married man would ever say that. a married man laughs. that's what -- >> married women laughs. >> that's what i wanted to hear, because i cannot believe that. i just can't believe it. i cannot believe he said that. >> that he'd say -- that he would mischaracterize the republican -- the democratic party that way. we've got a lot of news. let's go through the news stories. >> some republicans are looking to make big changes to their 2016 primary process. the rnc is ready to compress its presidential primary and caucus schedule in an attempt to avoid

another party -- dirty nomination process. republicans who support the idea say it would allow the eventual nominee more time to fund-raise, but some opposed say this would benefit a well-funded established candidate over a grassroots conservative. the changes are up for vote, the final day of the winter meeting. nicole? >> we've lost two in a row. we have to change something. so i think these are good changes. i think they're creating a big collision of wills there at the grassroots level. but that's where -- that's what these meetings are for. it's where they're designed to hash these out. and i think something has to change. >> it's the right thing, right? you have to compress the system. >> i think so. >> the longer it goes, the more these guys destroy each other. >> we destroyed our own. >> eat their own. >> barack obama defeated john mccain and mitt romney, but not before we defeated them ourselves as a party. coming up in the morning papers, a well-known conservative author is busted by the feds, accused of illegally

funneling cash to a senate candidate. we'll tell you how the alleged crime played out. plus, clay aiken is reportedly setting his sights on capitol hill. the former "american idol" runner-up is testing the political waters? >> he and sean hannity could run as a ticket. did you hear about that? sean hannity is talking about running. >> oh. well, clay aiken's great. first, here's bill karins with a check of the forecast. >> if he can do it, i can do it, right? here's what we're dealing with. a lot of big schools around houston cancelled schools because of the conditions. cleveland doesn't have school. and also oklahoma city. the winter weather continues to win out, and the icy conditions, we don't see it in this portion of the country, from houston to lake charles, snow across louisiana, and even southern mississippi at this hour. and the cold continues. it's the coldest morning in oklahoma city in three years. the temperature down to 4 degrees. wind chills minus 6 in kansas

city. we're a little bit better now in chicago and green bay. but it's funny calling minus 19 better. as far as the forecast for the rest of today, a little bit warmer in many spots. a little snow, too, for you in minneapolis, chicago. and then, as we go through the weekend, the big story is the next blast of arctic air. first the cold front goes through, and then it's just going to be frigid. it looks like almost-blizzard conditions with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour in minneapolis on sunday, and wind chills as low as minus 40, and all of that's going to head our way on the east coast next week. after that, we'll look better. and if you want to see how the sausage is made of behind-the-scenes look of "morning joe" set, visito on instagram. more "morning joe" when we come right back. [ male announcer ] this is the story of the little room

over the pizza place on chestnut street the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪

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♪ all right. it's time now to look at the morning papers. >> good, all right. still have the gloves on. >> i'm freezing, and "the new york times," conservative author desouza is facing charges for making illegal campaign donations. prosecutors say desouza urged people to give nearly $20,000 to a senate campaign. he later reimbursed them for the donations. records show he donated to one candidate in 2012, new york republican wendy long, who challenged senator kirsten gillibrand. they say they've been friends since college days and at most

it was an act of misguided friendship. and from the "houston chronicle" a parade of papers, governor perry speaking out in favor of marijuana. he says he prefers sending minor offenders for treatment rather than prison. he emphasizes he's not for the legalization of marijuana but defended states' rights to make those choices. raleigh news, observer, a new report calling attention to a north carolina school district where students are allegedly facing harsh punishments for minor offenses. in one incident, a teenage student was handcuffed and escorted out of school for cutting the lunch line. >> are you kidding me? holy. >> let me think about that for a second. a 74-page complaint was filed with the department of justice yesterday. civil rights groups are calling for an investigation. >> and they should. "the washington times" former "american idol" runner-up is making his way onto the

political stage. clay aiken is planning to run for congress in north carolina. he'll be taking on republican representative renee elmers in a conservative-leaning district. aiken is expected to formally announce his campaign later this month. >> he was so good on "american idol." >> so good. >> he was so good. do you like "american idol" now? >> i'm watching a little bit of it. >> i like it with -- not -- j. lo and harry connick. he's very good. he's a father, and he tells them to, you know, clean it up. >> well, there's a third there, too. >> who's the other one? >> you don't know? >> i can't remember. >> come on. who's the other one? >> it's keith urban. >> keith urban, right. >> great country singer. you know, keith's a great guy, too, man. you see him on there. you can tell he really connects with the kids. >> okay. >> i haven't seen "american idol," like, in years. >> i've been watching. >> but my 10-year-old daughter loves watching it. so guess what i do? >> you watch "american idol." >> i watch "american idol." "los angeles times," you may

want to cut back on soda, duh, and it's not because of the sugar. levels of a possible carcinogen in the drinks, brown coloring, fantastic. california included the chemical on its list of cancer-causing substances. pepsi argues the levels found in the soda are safe for the average user. >> all right. americans are not average users. they drink four a day. >> all right. >> and become obese, which is a problem. just get rid of soda. i know the pepsi's making a lot of healthy drinks now to try and make up for the fact that they've made poison for years. >> california is not really a good example of, like, setting the bar high for what causes cancer. i mean, you know, they think dirt causes cancer -- >> if we eradicated soda off the place of the earth, the earth would be a better place. and there's not one person who knows about health would disagree with me. >> who would teach the world to sing in perfect harmony? >> exactly. can you believe those commercials? think about it. >> they're awesome.

>> it's sick. >> coke adds life. don't forget about that. coke adds life. it's the real thing. "wall street journal," facebook fought back with its own mock research paper predicting the demise of princeton. >> what? >> a day after facebook noted declining google searches, and they say the university will have no -- no students at the school at all by 2021. >> what? okay. >> that's kind of funny. >> "the topeka capital journal," a man who donated his sperm to a lesbian couple is appealing a court decision calling for him to pay child support. the judge ruled kansas law required the couple to use a licensed doctor, but since they performed the artificial insemination at home, he's not protected under the law. >> wow, okay. >> that's just -- >> this weekend's parade magazine features the super bowl edition of what america eats

series, and in it, celebrity chef mario batallly, all right. what americans are missing in the coverage of the middle east. plus, the real-life "goodfellows" bust. the nearly 80-year-old mob boss arrested for one of the biggest heists in history. we'll be back with much more of "morning joe." [ ashley ] everywhere i go, i'm preparing for the olympics.

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♪ it was the heist that inspired the movie "goodfellows," and now members of the notorious crime family are being held on federal charges for one of the biggest thefts in history. nbc's kate snow explains. >> -- how much was taken during a predawn raid -- >> reporter: moviegoers will remember ray liotta's reaction in "goodfellows" when he hears his friends have pulled off one of the biggest heists in history. but that wasn't hollywood fiction. >> there was a holdup of historic proportions at new york kennedy's airport. >> reporter: december 11, 1978, a bunch of masked gunmen stormed

into lufthansa cargo hangar and stole $5 million in cash and nearly $1 million worth of jewelry. >> the robbers rounded up nine employees working inside of the building and herded them all to a second-floor cafeteria. >> reporter: the cash and jewels were never found. until now, the only person convicted was an inside man at lufthansa. as many as 10 others suspected to be involved turned up dead. in new york, a parade of alleged aging mobsters, members of the bonanno organized crime family. at the front of the pack, 78-year-old vincent asaro, accused of helping to carry out the lufthansa heist. authorities have believed jimmy burke, jimmy the gent, was the mastermind behind the heist. robert de niro in the film version. >> keep your mouth shut. >> reporter: last summer, they found human remains in burke's basement. >> when they found the body, you could figure someone was giving

up information. >> reporter: it reads like a book, robbery, extortion, murder. the others accused vincent's son, 5-year-old jerome asaro, another alleged high-ranking member of the crime family, 70-year-old thomas di fiore, who went by tommy d., and jack bonaventure, and john ragano. >> that was nbc's kate snow. >> wow, golly. >> whew. >> you didn't see "goodfellows" did you? >> it was a great movie. >> okay. >> yeah, ray liotta is great. that story. >> that was kate snow reporting. up next, we hear a lot about the sectarian violence dividing muslims in the middle east, but the next guest says islam isn't the only faith under fire. we'll be right back with more "morning joe." ♪

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♪ with us now we have the southern baptist ethics and liberty commission, russell moore. he's also the author of the book "tempted and tried: temptation and the triumph of christ." russell, good to have you here. >> good to be with you. >> i hear you're a huge music fan. >> yeah, the old stuff, johnny cash, merle haggard. >> there you go, baby. and don't you do a regular radio show? >> i do the cross on the juke box where we look at the old country music and talk about what it means. >> the old, so -- >> george jones, and loretta lynn, which are making a comeback. >> they're making a comeback. i downloaded a lot of emmylou harris -- >> she's great. >> she's great. and all of the old stuff. >> yeah. >> even charlie rich. >> oh, yeah. >> even though i didn't know what some of it meant.

♪ wouldn't we get those highs >> those voices, right? >> so deep. >> rolling with the flow. >> yeah, man, they're great. they're great. let's talk about religious persecution. we hear about it an awful lot, you know, back in the 1990s, we were genuinely concerned -- i certainly was, made it a big issue in congress -- about religious persecution in sudan. president bush followed up with that, as well. but what about religious persecution in the middle east? >> it is on fire in the middle east, and especially among christian and minority religion communities, and that's one of the things that many of us are trying to do is call our churches, evangelical churches in america, to care about this. to talk about it in sermons, to pray about it on sunday mornings and start focusing our attention -- >> where is the worst persecution right now for christians? >> egypt is really bad. iraq -- >> egypt from the days of mubarak -- >> it's much worse now. the instability, it's going --

of course, syria. it's one of the reasons why evangelicals had a lot of ambivalence about military action in syria. we all hate the assad regime, but we don't want to destroy christian communities in syria. >> yeah. what's the biggest contributor to it and why don't we hear more about it in the united states? >> i think the reason we don't hear more about it is so many people wonder, why could we do about it anyway? we're not going to invade the middle east again in order to deal with it. so i think a lot of people don't know what to do. and there's the daily news cycle. people are talking about justin bieber, talking about the thens that are immediately happening around us right now. >> i want to challenge -- i want to challenge you, though, on this question, because to me, this is the explanation for why so many americans don't get more rowed up about national security issues, we're worried about our own economy, our own schools, but it seems in the evangelical community, the whole purpose is this connection, is this sisterhood and brotherhood. >> exactly.

>> and how is it there hasn't been more attention paid to what's happening? we were talking before the segment, in syria, churches are being burned. >> yeah. >> this community is under attack. how is it that in this country, and just even among the community, there hasn't been more of a connection established? >> but i think that's starting to happen, and it's happening because it's becoming personal. you think of this pastor, pastor saed, in iran, and evangelicals are calling, and praying for the pastor, and as it becomes more personal, it's more of an issue for people. >> michael brendon doherty wrote this. the world's most ancient christian communities are being destroyed and no one cares. the arab spring. and to a lesser extent the overthrow of saddam hussein were touted as catalysts for a major historic shift in the region. from egypt, to syria, to iraq, the middle east, dictatorships succeeded by liberal democratic

regimes. years later, however, there is very little liberality or democracy to show, indeed, what these upheavals have bequeathed to history is a baleful, and the near annihilation of the most ancient communities of christians. >> one of the ways we have to address that is with evangelicals taking bibles, and turning to the back, the maps, iraq, that's not a national security issue. that's where abraham was from. syria. the road to damascus, the say postel paul. this is our story and history. i'm from biloxi, mississippi, you're from pensacola, when the oil spill happened, we paid attention to that. and i think evangelical christians are starting to become aware. these are our heritage, our people, and we ought to be more concerned about it. >> nicole? >> i wonder why there isn't any talk among our leaders, either, because certainly evangelical christians are represented in our congress and in our state

legislatures. >> yeah. >> we certainly did hear about it when there was persecution, especially, in sudan. >> right. >> in the 1990s. >> another humanitarian crises have mobilized the community,ed darfur crisis, so forth. >> -- these horrible stories -- read this horrible story about christians in africa, the middle east will be celebrating and the doors will be kicked down, and 35 or 40 will be gunned down -- >> especially easter, christmas. >> yeah, and there's some exceptions. frank wolf, congressman from virginia, unfortunately retiring right now, but he's the guy who's standing there all the time saying, i'm not going to let you ignore this. we're going to have to pay attention to this. and we need more of that, and i think evangelicals will be calling on elected officials to do that. >> and are you traveling to washington and making this case -- >> yes. >> -- meeting with lawmakers -- >> what's the response so far? >> i think there's a growing interest in saying -- i think the question is, what do we do?

i think there's practical things we can do. one of the things is internet freedom. working to come in and break down fire walls across the world where some of the persecuted communities can get in touch with people on the outside, to know what's going on, to connect with one another. i think that's going to be a major, major initiative in fighting religious persecution around the world. >> well, thank you so much for being with us. we greatly appreciate it. and i hope you'll come back. >> thanks so much. thank you for having me. >> maybe we'll talk music a little bit more. >> maybe you guys should sing. >> yeah, southern baptist church, how's my southern baptist church doing? >> going great. a lot of young people. a lot of changing things happening. >> remarkable how much the church has changed. >> it is. >> it's a quiet -- i say it on the show all the time, it's like a quiet revolution. people don't realize, especially the emphasis of younger evangelicals dramatically changed -- >> as the culture is

secularizing, they're becoming more and more serious about the things that matter, gospel. >> matthew 25 christians i call them. we'll be right back. keep it here on "morning joe." let me get this straight... [ female voice ] yes? lactaid® is 100% real milk? right. real milk. but it won't cause me discomfort. exactly, because it's milk without the lactose. and it tastes? it's real milk! come on, would i lie about this? [ female announcer ] lactaid. 100% real milk. no discomfort. over the pizza place on chestnut street the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the southbound bus barreling down i-95.

♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ hearty oatmeal, softly baked with a drizzle of cinnamon. it's a soft take on a morning classic.

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the app appropriately named sex with google glass allows couples to watch and record sexual acts as well as swap video feeds so that their partner can watch from their point of view. [ laughter ] >> great, finally google glass

has made it possible to see what it looks like to go [ bleep ] yourself. >> this is a few years ago, a cute little kid with a bowl haircut, now a drunk-driving, drag-racing hooligan. here he is in 2007, sweet little guy with a guitar. here he is in 2008, having a great time on stage. 2009, still very innocent looking. 2010, oh, the gloves, i could live without, but still okay. [ laughter ] 2011, uh, a little aggressive, but no major red flags, 2012, starting to get into bag of douche territory, and then we hit 2013, and that's where shirtless, cocky, pants half off, tattoos on -- he made the turn in the summer of 2013. and, next, based on my projections, this is what justin bieber will look like in 2018, just a few short years from now.

coming up next, the week in review. [ male announcer ] the new new york is open. open to innovation. open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. which 4g lte map has the most coverage? this isn't real difficult... pretty obvious to me. i'm going to have to say verizon. verizon. that's right! the choice is obvious. verizon's superfast 4g lte network is over three times larger than any other 4g lte network.

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we have the host of "way too early" thomas roberts, who hurt his back.

>> oh, no, how did you hurt -- >> the trainer did -- >> one thing you'll never hear me say, i was with the trainer. can i borrow some of your meds, though, in the commercial break? >> oh, yeah. >> okay. ♪ >> as you can see, donny is here and mike barnicle, do you think i'm allergic to them? >> oh, that's a good question. i'll leave, we'll find out. >> it will be snowing, no school tomorrow. >> no, you want school. you will be here. >> i show up every single day. >> you're here every day. >> i'm here at least half the time. >> but here's the thing -- >> we used to have a special task force that would come up to the townhouses in madison in the '70s -- >> you didn't take snowplows on the upper east side, so all of the rich guys like donny deutsch, used to having people come to their door personally,

de blasio did the outer boroughs but didn't take them to the upper east side. >> stuck there. he's stuck until spring. >> i can't get out. >> we hope you like massachusetts. >> i need aaa. can someone call me aaa? >> it's impossible to get a snow day from nbc. >> face horrible. >> go mika chose to run, she'd be the best mayor ever of hoboken. >> the people's mayor. >> yeah. here's what you're supposed to do, harold? notice your breath. you're not getting it at all. >> i'm reading the peyton manning story. >> see? >> breaking news to report. nbc 6 in south florida is reporting that justin bieber has been arrested for drag racing -- >> no. >> -- and dui. >> oh, no, no, no. >> when you went out to sundance, you took the dough and blew it on skiing. >> it was paid for all by you, which makes it even that much better. >> i learned today that you don't give louis bergdorf your credit card.

>> there's no way i'm wrong about this, and there's no way you'd say it. i'm not hearing anything. oh. thank you. >> crickets. >> you agree with me. >> i learned to say you're not wrong. >> i'm going to go protest, and you'll join me, won't you? >> no, i will not. >> all right. what have you learned today? >> another one bites the dust, and another republican man goes up in flames, talking about what women want. just sayin'. >> talking about libido, don't do it, man. what have you learned? >> i learned, also, on the libido thing, but i am uncle sugar, is on twitter. >> really? >> uncle sugar. i'm looking for uncle schugs. >> you guys have any plans this weekend with it minus 17? >> no, i'm done with the weather. over it. going home to california. >> typical ice cream for me. >> if it's way too early, it's "morning joe." i have no idea what that means.

chuck todd, "the daily rundown," straight ahead. have a great weekend. as always, thank you for your patience. i just can't help myself. i'm sorry. i try. can't wait for the state of the union? well, lucky for you, there are state of the state speeches. they've been happening all across the country this month. a look at what nine governors have said so far and what it tells us, actually, about the politics of 2014 and 2016. also this morning, a preview of msnbc's exclusive interview with attorney general eric holder. ari melber will be here with what the top cop said about voting rights and a lot more. and new developments in the ongoing federal investigation of senate foreign relations committee bob menendez. the new jersey senior senator misuse his powerful influence to help two ecuadorian brothers accused by that country of stealing millions before they fled for the united states? good morning from washington.